The second longest Council in the history of the European Union after the one held in Nice in 2000 ended at 5.30 in the morning on Tuesday with a long round of applause. A well-deserved round of applause must be given to the European Union, which after so many uncertainties has managed to show itself united and capable – this time – of reaching an “epochal compromise”.
THEagreement on the recovery fund is "a tremendous success for the European Union, an extraordinary success made possible by the rediscovered unity and common determination of Germany and France”, he comments in a article published on Inpiù the general manager of Assonime, Stephen Micossi.
According to Micossi, it was not only Italy that won, which managed to bring home 209 billion euros in subsidies and loans, but also and above all the European Union, by approving a balanced compromise which "does not upset the institutional balance between the Council and the Commission", even if it "leaves the parliament in the shadows in decisions on national programs and the disbursement of funds".
"In the most difficult moment, Europe has responded adequately to the seriousness of the crisis. Our Prime Minister returns home with over 200 billion in fresh resources (Mr Salvini: did you hear?). Now comes the biggest challenge, which is to spend it well", underlines Micossi in his speech.
The former extraordinary commissioner also speaks of a favorable result for Italy and for Europe Carlo Cottarelli which, in ainterview with the Huffington Postalready looks to the future and warns: the problems are not solved, On the contrary. According to Cottarelli, Italy will have to present “a valid programme, which we haven't been able to do yet. We are the last country, we have not yet presented a national reform plan, which is indeed a formal act, but it shows that we are still moving too slowly. Now there will again be a task force to create a project to present to Europe and to shape us”.
Furthermore, it should be understood how the disbursement of funds will be configured and under what conditionality, especially with reference to deficit and debt. “At the moment the European rules have been suspended, there are no ceilings, there are no repayment plans, there is no possibility of starting an excessive deficit procedure, but at a certain point these rules will be reintroduced and it will be necessary to understand how measure a country will continue to receive this money, even if it is not in line with the European recommendations on the public deficit”.
In any case it will be dconditionalities "useful for Italy, it's not austerity", concludes Cottarelli who finally invites us to reflect carefully on the use of the Mes, highlighting that, despite the rates having dropped, it is "still worthwhile", above all because "the money would already arrive this year".
